World Cars Motor Show

The BMW Sauber F1 Team took delivery of the fastest car in the BMW range at BMW Welt in Munich. The team was presented with the BMW Sauber F1.08 against the futuristic backdrop of the brand??™s new vehicle delivery center. The presentation, which took place before an audience of several hundred media representatives from around the world, included a spectacular cameo from Nick Heidfeld. As the longest-serving F1 driver in the BMW ranks, the German took the new car for a spin inside the vast building. The serious testing, however, will begin with the roll-out of the car at the Valencia race circuit in Spain. The BMW Sauber F1.08 is eye-catching with its imposing front wing and extremely slim rear, and boasts a wealth of innovative technology.

The BMW Sauber F1 Team has completed its development phase, motivation is strong and its plans are ambitious: in what will be its third season on the Formula One grid the team is aiming to close the gap to the leading teams and has targeted a first race win. ???We??™re setting our sights high,??? admits BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, ???and we??™ll have to make further improvements in all areas to achieve what we want to. However, the past two years have instilled confidence within the team. We met our goals in both 2006 and 2007, we are heading in the right direction, and everybody in Munich and Hinwil is focused on the job in hand. If we continue our progress along this path we will also fulfil our aims for 2008.???

???It is generally very difficult to define expectations and make prognoses. But I hope that our plan works out and we are able to win our first race in 2008,??? said Heidfeld, who once again accounted for the largest share of the points earned by the team in 2007 and finished on the podium twice. ???I expect us to move forward in all areas ??“ particularly as far as reliability is concerned ??“ and to learn from our mistakes. This development process is essential in what we??™re trying to achieve.???

The New BMW Sauber F1.08

For Technical Director Willy Rampf the philosophy behind the race car for the 2008 season boils down to what he calls ???evolutionary new development???. In other words, last year??™s car already provided the engineers with a sound basis for the BMW Sauber F1.08, and they did not have to spend time correcting faults. Instead they were able to use knowledge gained over the course of the 2007 season and channel their energies into the development of innovations which build on this basis.

The engineers??™ development work focused on achieving a high level of aerodynamic efficiency coupled with a stable aero balance: the lower the loss of downforce through corners, the faster the car can travel and the greater the confidence it gives the driver. Other development aims included improving mechanical grip in order to make the best possible use of the standard tires and reducing the weight of various components to allow maximum use of ballast in optimizing weight distribution.

A particularly eye-catching feature of the F1.08 is the mighty front wing. Having said that, the car??™s nose has actually slimmed down ??“ in equal measure to the rear end. The narrower engine cover has been designed with all-new extra wing elements. Another new and immediately noticeable feature are the hub caps, or ???rim shields???.

Two changes to the regulations have had a major effect on the construction of the cars for the 2008 season: the introduction of standardized electronics (SECU) and the new running time stipulation for the gearboxes (developed in Munich), which must now endure over four grands prix. Since the SECU does not allow for traction control, among other functions, mechanical grip and sensitive accelerator control will gain in importance.

???The data which the F1.08 has delivered ahead of its roll-out is extremely promising,??? says Rampf. ???The development work will continue at full speed up to the start of the new season. Indeed, another aero package will be added to the F1.08 at the forthcoming test, and this will also alter the external appearance of the car once again.???

Development Phase Reaches its Conclusion

The BMW Sauber F1 Team was consistently the third-strongest team in 2007 and finished the season in second place in the standings following the exclusion of McLaren Mercedes from the Constructors??™ World Championship. The team completed its debut season of 2006 in fifth place in the World Championship. Its drivers recorded two podium finishes in each of its first two years ??“ three third places and one second place.

Alongside the unrelenting schedule of the race and testing calendar, the BMW Sauber F1 Team also had to focus on the development of the team in terms of personnel and logistics during its first two years on the grid. Rigorous expansion work has been carried out at its Hinwil base near Zurich since BMW took over the team on 1st January 2006. With its workforce having grown by some 150 people, the team moved into the new extension to the Swiss plant in late 2007. The development and construction of the entire powertrain still takes place in Munich ??“ under the watchful eye of Markus Duesmann ??“ next door to the BMW Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ).

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The F2007 is the fifty third single-seater built by Ferrari specifically to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship.

The project, known internally as the 658, represents the Scuderia’s interpretation of the technical regulations that apply for 2007, with changes principally concerning safety, through the introduction of more stringent front and rear crash tests and the addition of a composite material structure to provide lateral protection to the sides of the driver. These modifications have led to a significant increase in the weight of the car, in the region of about 22 lb’s.

The F2007 chassis has been significantly modified when compared to the 248 F1. The design was revised to accommodate a new front suspension that represents a major conceptual innovation, mainly in terms of aerodynamics. The shape of the side-pods and their openings are also revised, based on modifications to the cooling system, which also implies exits for the radiators on the upper part of the bodywork, while the engine air intake is also substantially different. The car has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor. The rear of the car is much narrower, taking advantage of the more sculpted shape of the gearbox housing, which again this year is made from carbon-fiber. The gearbox itself, which is still mounted longitudinally, is fitted with an innovative quick-shift system (seven plus reverse). The rear suspension is similar to that on the 248 F1, but a significant development programmed is planned in this area, in order to get the most out of the system, based on making progress in understanding the behavior of the 2007 tires. The front and rear aerodynamic configuration is also expected to change considerably before the start of the World Championship. The position of the rear view mirrors seen on the 2006 car remains unchanged and the same goes for the exhaust system.

In accordance with the regulations that come into force this year, the basic structure of the engine remains the same as the one homologated at the end of last season. Therefore, the 056 engine continues as a load bearing member and is again mounted longitudinally. Based on what is permitted in the regulations, the following modifications have been carried out to the engine signed off with the FIA in October 2006:
the combustion chamber, the valves, the inlet and exhaust chambers, all aimed at optimising the torque curve, given the engine rev limit of 19,000 rpm;
the piston, the piston pin and the piston cooling jets to aim for the best possible reliability when running at the limit of 19,000 rpm;
the fluid systems (water and oil) and components to facilitate the integration of the 056 into the new car.

As usual, during the design and development phase of the complete car, the technical partners played an important role. A significant part was played by Shell in terms of fuel and lubricants, by the Fiat Research Centre in the use of simulation systems and by Brembo in developing the braking system. As is now traditional, a great deal of attention was paid to the performance and optimization of the materials used, to the design stage and to quality control, striving to maximize the performance level and to ensure the highest possible standard of safety.

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